Police officer perseveres despite disability

It is not often that we follow the lives of police officers who become disabled on the job. Chicago Police Officer Cedric Brumley Sr. says his life changed dramatically, with positive results.

"I was just a regular patrol officer before the injury. I worked in the 4th District. It's 103rd and Luella, the Southeast Side of Chicago," said Brumley.

"I did so many things with my kids. I actually just was the coach of my son's little league baseball team stuff, like that I can't do no more. I had a part-time job that supplemented my income, and I'm not able to do that anymore. Through the injury, my marriage didn't last. I've been divorced for now three years, but now I have custody of both of my kids."

Forty-two-year-old Brumley became disabled almost eight years ago.

"I was actually responding to a call where a police officer got shot, and on my way to the location another police car ran into my police car, and from there I sustained a severed aorta, and I was in a comatose state for like two weeks, and I was hospitalized for almost four months."

"I'm a paraplegic from the waist down."

After becoming disabled, Brumley got support from the Police Memorial Foundation for an accessible van, but he was faced with other challenges such as raising his kids as single parent and modifying his home.

"The things they wanted to do were too dangerous for my kids," Brumley said. "They wanted to put a hole in the floor, they wanted to put a hole in my daughter's wall so I could get in the house."

A new, accessible home was the best solution for Brumley and his family, along with help from personal assistants.

He now is working on his next career.

"I'm pursuing my master's degree at the University of Cincinnati online," said Brumley, "because one day I actually want to try to be an instructor at the police academy."